Automatic labelling machine

ABSTRACT

BOTTLES AND THE LIKE ARE GUIDED ALONG THE SECOND DRUM CIRCUMFERENTIAL WALL SO THAT THE LABELS THEREON ARE SUCCESSIVELY BROUGHT INTO CONTACT WITH THE BOTTLES AND SECURELY ADHERED THEREONTO. THE MACHINE CAN (1) ADAPT ITSELF TO LABELS OF DIFFERENT LENGTHS, (2) CUT OFF ANY MARGIN THAT MAY EXIST BETWEEN ADJACENT LABELS IN THE TAPE BY MEANS OF A SECOND ROTARY CUTTER, AND (3) CAUSE THE LABEL TO BE ONLY PARTIALLY ADHERED TO A BOTTLE BY PARTIALLY ACTIVATING THE ADHESIVE SO THAT THE LABEL MAY LATER BE TAKEN OFF EASILY AND CLEANLY FOR THE BOTTLE TO BE USED AGAIN FOR SOME OTHER PURPOSE AFTER THE CONTENTS HAVE BEEN CONSUMED.   AN AUTOMATIC LABELING MACHINE WHEREIN AS A TAPE CONSISTING OF A SERIES OF LABELS THE REVERSE SIDE OF WHICH IS COATED WITH AN ADHESIVE MATERIAL IS FED, THE LABELS ARE SUCCESSIVELY CUT OFF FROM THE TAPE AND THEN BROUGHT INTO CONTACT WITH ARTICLES TO BE LABELED SO AS TO BE SECURELY ADHERED THEREONTO. THE MACHINE COMPRISES A FIRST AND A SECOND SUCTION DRUM MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ABOUT PARALLEL AXES IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS AND DISPOSED SO AS TO SUBSTANTIALLY CONTACT EACH OTHER, WITH SUCTION WORKING THROUGH AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL WALL OF EACH SAID DRUM. AS THE TAPE IS GUIDED ON THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL WALL OF SAID FIRST DRUM WHERE SUCTION WORKS, EACH LABEL IS CUT OFF FROM THE TAPE BY A ROTARY CUTTER, AND THE CUT LABELS ARE RETAINED ON THE DRUM SURFACE BY THE SUCTION AND CARRIED AS FAR AS THE CONTACTING POINT OF THE FIRST WITH SECOND DRUMS, WHERE THE LABELS ARE TRANSFERRED ONTO THE SECOND DRUM. AS THE LABELS ARE CARRIED ON THE SECOND DRUM, THEY ARE HEATED TO HAVE THE ADHESIVE ACTIVATED. ARTICLES TO BE LABELED, SUCH AS

Feb. 23, 1971 ISAO 'YAMAGUCHI 3,555,724

AUTOMATIC LABELING MACHINE Filed July 18, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR 1340 )amaguz n' RNEY Feb. 23, 1971 ISAO YAMAGUCHI 3,56

AUTOMATIC LABELING MACHINE Filed July 18, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet S |NVEN TOR 150.0 yamadu n BY3A V /4 ATTORNEY Feb. 23, 1971 ISAO YAMAGUCHI AUTOMATIC LABELING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 18, 1968 o o d $24 7" TORNEY looooo/oo J51" OOOIOOOOOOOI C0000 000000 000000 OOOOOO United States Patent AUTOMATIC LABELLING MACHINE Isao Yamaguchi, Kyoto, Japan, assignor to Nishimura Mfg. Co., Ltd., Kyoto, Japan, a corporation of Japan Filed July 18, 1968, Ser. No. 745,883 Claims priority, application Japan, July 31, 1967, 42/ 49,171 Int. Cl. B26d /00; B32b 31/00 US. Cl. 156354 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An automatic labeling machine wherein as a tape consisting of a series of labels the reverse side of which is coated with an adhesive material is fed, the labels are successively cut off from the tape and then brought into contact with articles to be labeled so as to be securely adhered thereonto. The machine comprises a first and a second suction drum mounted for rotation about parallel axes in opposite directions and disposed so as to substantially contact each other, with suction working through at least a portion of the circumferential wall of each said drum. As the tape is guided on the circumferential wall of said first drum where suction works, each label is cut off from the tape by a rotary cutter, and the cut labels are retained on the drum surface by the suction and carried as far as the contacting point of the first with second drums, where the labels are transferred onto the second drum. As the labels are carried on the second drum, they are heated to have the adhesive activated. Articles to be labeled, such as bottles and the like are guided along the second drum circumferential wall so that the labels thereon are successively brought into contact with the bottles and securely adhered thereonto. The machine can (1) adapt itself to labels of different lengths, (2) cut off any margin that may exist between adjacent labels in the tape by means of a second rotary cutter, and (3) cause the label to be only partially adhered to a bottle by partially activating the adhesive so that the label may later be taken off easily and cleanly for the bottle to be used again for some other purpose after the contents have been consumed.

There is known an automatic labeling machine in which a continuous sheet of paper is being fed, one surface of which is coated with an adhesive material which becomes active when heated while on the other surface of the paper a group of letters, symbols and/or pictures, etc., is printed within each of a series of defined areas or partitions each spaced a predetermined distance apart from the adjacent ones at opposite sides, and in which those defined areas (to be referred to as labels hereinafter) are successively cut from the continuous sheet of paper and applied to articles to be labeled such as bottles, cans and the like.

In order for the labeling machine of the above-mentioned type to operate effectively, it is required that each label be cut off accurately and that the machine can apply itself to various sizes of labels. Labels are often printed on a continuous sheet or paper with a margin between each adjacent two of the labels, and in such a case it is necessary to cut off those marginal portions. It often is desired that the label adhered onto a bottle or the like can be easily and cleanly taken off so that after the contents have been consumed the bottle may be used again for some other purposes. To the best knowledge of the present inventor, no labeling machine has yet been proposed that can meet all those requirements.

Accordingly, it is one object of the invention to provide an automatic labeling machine of the aforesaid type which is capable of cutting off labels from the continuous sheet Patented Feb. 23, 1971 ice of paper with accuracy whatever the length of the labels may be.

Another object of the invention is to provide an auto matic labeling machine of the type aforesaid which is capable of cutting off the marginal portion of each label if any and necessary.

Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic labeling machine of the type aforesaid which is capable of activating only a portion of the adhesive on the label, for example, the opposite edge portions thereof, so that the label can be easily and cleanly taken off from the bottle when necessary, say, when the bottle is used again for some other purpose after the contents thereof have been consumed.

The above and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a machine embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the machine of FIG. 1 as viewed from the rear side thereof;

FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing of the drive connection and control relation of the machine of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIGS. 4 to 8 are schematic drawings illustrating the operation of the machine of the invention; and

FIGS. 9a and 9b show the reverse side of a label on which the adhesive is rendered partially active.

Now referring in detail to the drawings, there is shown a roll 1 of a continuous sheet of paper T (to be referred to as a tape), one surface (the reverse) of which is coated with a suitable adhesive material which becomes active when heated, and on the other surface (the obverse) of the sheet there is printed a group of letters, symbols, pictures, etc., within a series of defined areas or partitions each spaced a predetermined distance apart from the adjacent ones at opposite sides. The tape T is drawn out of the roll 1 with its reverse side turned upside and passed over guide rollers 2, 3, 4 and 5 to reach a tape feeding drum 6. As the drum is rotated, it feeds the tape and the feed rate can be automatically varied, as will be described in detail later. The tape is then passed over a pressure roller 7 and then guide rollers 8 and 9 to a first suction drum 10. The drum has its circumferential wall apertured as at 11, through which suction works. The arrangement is such that suction works during the course of rotation, counter clockwise in FIG. 1, of the drum between the guide roller 9 and the contacting portion of the drum 10 with a heating suction drum 12. In other words, suction does not work through the apertures 11 within the area of the surface of the drum 10 extending from the contacting portion of the drum 10 with the drum 12 to below the roller 9 in the counterclockwise direction.

A rotary cutter 13 is provided adjacent the circumferential surface of the first drum 10. The cutter has a blade 13 extending in parallel with the axis of the drum. The arrangement is such that upon every one clockwise revolution of the cutter 13, its blade 13' contacts the tape T on the drum 10 so as to cut off one label therefrom. The feed rate of the tape, that is, the rotational speed of the feeding drum 6 is automatically adjusted so that upon one revolution of the cutter 13 one label can always be cut off. This will be referred to again later in detail.

As the drum 10 is further rotated, the label cut off from the tape is retained thereon by the suction applied through the apertures 11 with its obverse outside and carried as far as the contacting portion of the drum 10 with the drum 12.

The heating suction drum 12 is also apertured as at 14 over the circumferential wall thereof so that suction is applied through the apertures 14. The drum 12 includes a heating device, not shown, which is supplied with electric energy through a slip ring and brush connection 73, as shown in FIG. 2. The drum 12 is rotated clockwise in FIG. 1.

When the label on the drum reaches the contacting portion of the drum 10 with the drum 12, it is transferred from the former to the latter because beyond the contacting portion there is no suction working through the apertures 11 of the drum 10 while suction works through the apertures 14 of the drum 12. Suction is supplied to the interior of the drums 10 and 12 through flexible tubes 69 and 70, respectively. The label transferred onto the drum 12 has its reverse side turned outside, and while the label is being carried thereon it is heated as will be described later in detail.

Below the heating suction drum 12, there is provided a device 15 for feeding articles to be labeled. The device 15 may be of any suitable type, but in the illustrated embodiment it comprises a conveyor 17 for conveying articles, say, bottles 16, onto a guide plate comprising an article receiving portion 17 and an arcuate portion 17", the latter extending along a part of the circumferential 'wall of the drum 12 with the same curvature of the drum surface and with such a gap G therebetween that enables the bottle 16 to be rotated and at the same time moved in the same direction as that of the rotation of the drum 12. The gap G is variable in accordance with the diameter of the articles to be labeled. The receiving portion 17 is formed with a plurality, say, two slots 18 extending longi tudinally of the portions 17. A lever 19 has its upper end bifurcated to provide a pair of claws 19' engaging through the slots 18. The lever 19 is formed with a horizontal slot 20 and a vertical slot 21. A drive pin 22 engages in the former slot 20 and a guide pin 23, in the latter slot 21. The pin 22 is planted at an eccentric point on a rotatable disk 24 which is rotated counterclockwise in FIG. 1. It will be seen that upon counterclockwise rotation of the disk 24 the lever claws 19 reciprocate between the opposite ends of the slots 18. In this case, when the claws 19 move backward from left to right, they do not project through the slots 18, so that they do not interfere with the articles on the receiving portion 17' of the guide plate, while when they move forward from right to left, they project through the slots 18 so as to engage the articles on the receiving portion 17' to drive the foremost one of them into the gap G. In synchronism with this, a label L comes around on the drum 12 with its activated reverse side turned outside, so that as a bottle is moved through the gap while being rotated, the label is applied onto the bottle. The labeled bottle is then transferred onto a conveyor 25.

Turning to FIGS. 2 to 5, the operation of the machine will be described in further detail. In FIGS. 2 and 3, a PIV drive 27 has its one output shaft 2 8 connected to the drive shaft 31 of the first suction drum 10 through a suitable reduction gear 29 and a chain-and-sprocket connection 30. A gear 32 is fixedly mounted on the shaft 31 for rotation therewith, and meshes with a gear 34 fixedly mounted on the shaft 33 of the rotary cutter 13 and also a gear 35 fixedly mounted on the drive shaft of the heating suction drum 12.

Suppose that the gear ratio of the gears 34, 32 and 35 be 1:6:10. One revolution of the suction drum 10 results in six revolutions of the cutter 13 and /s of a revolution of the heating drum 12. Consequently, as the cutter 13 is rotated, its blade 13' faces the drum 10 at six equidistantly or equiangularly spaced apart points a1, a2, a3, a4, a5 and a6 round the circumference of the drum 10. Strictly speaking, the blade 13' faces the drum surface along six equidistantly or equiangularly spaced apart, axially extending lines, but these lines will be referred to as points hereinafter.

It will be seenthat as the drums 10 and 12 are rotated in opposite directions, the six points on the drum 10 will successively contact the circumferential wall surface of the 4 other drum 12 at ten equidistantly or equiangularly spaced apart points b1, b2 b10. If each label on the tape T is fed at the same speed of the cutter 13, that is, if upon every one rotation of the cutter 13 the tape is fed by one label, labels are cut off from the tape successively at the points a1, a2 a6 on the drum 10.

It may be mentioned that the maximum length of one label is equal to /6 of the circumference of the drum 10, that is, the length of the are between each adjacent two of the six points a. To put it in detail, suppose that a label L1 have now been cut at point all (FIG. 4). The next label L2 must be cut at its rear point (edge) P. This means that the tape must be fed to the length of a label L0 during one revolution of the cutter 13. During this period of time, the drum 10 is rotated through 60, that is, from point all to a6. This means that the drum surface runs faster than the tape being fed, so that the tape slips on the drum surface, and when the cutter blade 13' has come around after one revolution, the rear end P of the label L0 coincides with point a6 on the drum 10, where the label is then cut off from the tape.

The cut labels L1, L2 are retained on the surface of the drum 10 by the suction being applied thereto through the apertures 11. As the labels are brought to point :15, beyond which the suction cannot work as far as about point a6 as previously mentioned, they are transferred onto the drum 12 by the suction working through the apertures 14, with the rear edge RE of each label coinciding with point b1, b2 or 1210. It depends on the length of the label where the forward or previously cut edge FE thereof is located on the surface of the drum 12, as will be described later in detail.

As the label is being carried on the drum 12, it is heated until it is brought to the right-hand end of the curved portion 17" of the guide plate, whereupon an article to be labeled is moved into the gap G.

Mention has already been made that the point P at which each label in the tape T is cut must coincide with any of the points a on the drum 10. The control for this purpose will now be described. Referring to FIG. 3, the rotation of the output shaft 36 of the PIV drive 27 is transmitted to the drive shaft 44 of the tape feeding from 6 through a reduction gear 37, a chain-and-sprocket connection 38, a differential gear 39, chain-and-sprocket connections 40 and 41, a differential gear 42, and a chainand-sprocket connection 43. Therefore, if the change ratio of the PIV drive 27 is selected in accordance with the length of the labels, the above requirement, that is, the coincidence of the points p and a, is ensured. Should the feed rate of the tape fluctuate, the error must be com pensated for. To this end, the tape may be formed with a series of marks, say, small holes 11, one for every one label. The tape is passed through a light source 45 and a photosensor 46. Every time the photosensor 46 receives light through a hole It, passage of one label, that is, the feed rate of the tape can be detected. On the other hand, in order to detect the angular position of the cutter blade 13', a piece of iron 47 is secured to the tip end of a lever 47 fixed to the drive shaft 33 of the cutter 13 and a proximity detector 48 is disposed so that it detects the piece of iron 47 every time the cutting blade 13 faces one of the points a on the drum 10, that is to say, the cutting of one label from the tape is effected. The photosensor 46 and light source 45 are so disposed that the photosensor 46 detects a hole It on the tape when the cutter has cut a label accurately along the proper border line. The position of the photosensor 46 and light source 45 are variable along the length of the tape in accordance with the length of the labels to be cut. Alternatively, the phase of the lever 47 may be changed. In this case, the lever 47 is adjustably mounted on the drive shaft 33.

With this arrangement, so long as the tape is accurately fed, the output S from the photosensor 46 and the output S from the proximity detector 48 coincide and are applied to the tape feeding signal producing circuit 49.

This circuit 49 is so designed that it produces no output signal so long as the signals S and S coincide. If the feed rate of the tape is too fast, the signal S precedes the sigal S, whereas if the feed rate of the tape is too slow, the signal S precedes the signal S. In the former case, that is, the signal S enters the circuit 49 prior to the signal S, the circuit 49 produces a signal SF, while in the latter case, the circuit 49 produces a signal SF. A rotational direction changing device 51 has a pair of clutches 51A and 51B which transmit the rotation of the output shaft of a motor 50 to that of the output shaft 52 of the device 51 in opposite directions. The signals SF and SF energize the clutches 51A and 51B, respectively. If, when the clutch 51A is energized by the signal SF, the shaft 52 is rotated counterclockwise, it is rotated clockwise when the clutch 51B is energized by the signal SF.

The rotation of the output shaft 52 is transmitted to the differential gear 39 directly or through a suitable drive connection, so that the driving speed of the motor 26 to be transmitted to the drive shaft 44 of the tape feeding drum 6 is increased or decreased in accordance with the amount and direction of rotation of the shaft 52, thereby instantly advancing or delaying the tape by a required length. The length of the tape to be advanced or delayed can be controlled by the time of duration of the signals SF and SF.

It is because the change ratio of the PIV drive 27 is not correct that the tape has to be advanced or delayed as mentioned above. Therefore, the change ratio of the PIV drive 27 must be corrected. To this end, a PIV drive 53 for fine adjustment is interposed between the differential gears 39 and 42 so that the input shaft 54 of the PIV drive 53 may be controlled by the output shaft 52 of the previously mentioned rotational direction changing device 51. Consequently, the feed rate of the tape is instantly corrected by the differential gear 39 and at the same time the change ratio of the PIV drive 27 is finely adjusted by the PIV drive 53 so that the feed rate of the tape is maintained at a required proper value.

The fine adjustment PIV drive 53 is provided with an actuating lever 55 adapted to be moved in proportion to the amount of fine adjustment. When the fluctuation of the feed rate of the tape exceeds the maximum amount of adjustment provided by the PIV drive 53, the operating lever 55 actuates a switch 56 to energize a motor 57. When energized, the motor 57 moves the operating lever 58 of the PIV drive 27 to change the change ratio thereof, thereby changing the rotational speed of the tape feeding drum 6 to the required value.

In the above description, the tape has no marginal portion between each adjacent two of the labels printed thereon. FIGS. to 8 show a tape T which has a marginal space E between adjacent labels L therein, In this case, the margin E must be cut off from each label. To this end, another cutter 59 of the same construction as the cutter 13 is provided facing the point a2 (it may be the point a3 or a4) of the drum The cutter 59 is secured to a drive shaft 60 to which is secured a gear 61 meshing with the drive gear 32 of the drum 10.

Referring to FIGS. 5 to 8, suppose that the cutter 13 has cut a label L'1 from the tape at the rear edge RE thereof (FIG. 6). As previously mentioned, when the drum 10 has rotated /6 of the circumference, this rear edge RE reaches the point a2 of the drum 10*. Therefore, if the second cutter 59 is rotated in the same phase as that in which the first cutter 13 is rotated, the second cutter blade 59 contacts nothing but the cut rear edge RE of the marginal portion E1 of the label as shown in dashand-dot lines in FIG. 6 and, consequently, cannot cut off the margin B1. In order to be able to cut off the margin E1, it is necessary to advance the phase of the cutter 59 (or delay that of the first cutter 13). If the central angle corresponding to the arc of the drum circumference occupied by the marginal portion E to be cut olf is a, the phase of the second cutter 51 must be 606 ahead of 6 the phase of the first cutter since the rotational speed of the cutter 59 is 6 times that of the drum 10 (FIG. 5).

Thus, as shown in FIG. 7, the second cutter blade 59 engages the forward edge FE of the margin E2 of the label L2 to cut oif the margin 601 ahead of the first cutter blade 13 which has not yet cut off the next label L1.

If the suction drum 10 is apertured all over its circumferential surface, the marginal portions separated from the labels are inconveniently maintained on the drum surface due to the suction working through the apertures. Therefore, no suction holes are formed on the drum surface within a predetermined area R extending from each of the points a1, a2 and a6 in the direction of the rotation of the drum 10, so that margins cut off from the labels and lying on the area R of the drum surface can gravitate. A suitable suction device, not shown, may be provided for collecting the margins so that they may not lie about. If the labels have no marginal portion, a part of each label itself lies on the area R where no suction works. 'In practice, however, this will pose no problem.

The labels that have been transferred onto the surface of the heating drum 12 with their reverse sides turned outside are heated so that the adhesive coating the reverse sides is activated as the labels are carried round by the drum 12.

Bottles or containers are often used again for some other purpose after the contents have been consumed. In such a case it may be desirable to have the labels taken off from the bottles or containers. If the label is adhered all over its reverse side as is usual, it is very difiicult to tear off the label cleanly. To make it easier for the label to be taken off, the label may be partially adhered to a container or bottle from the first. This is accomplished in accordance with the invention by activating only part of the adhesive on the label.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, near the circumferential wall of the heating drum 12, for example, radially outwardly spaced a suitable distance apart from points b4 and b5 there are provided a pair of heaters 62 and 63 each comprising a rotatable shaft 64 and 65, and a pair of spaced apart heating blades 62', 62" and 63, 63" secured to the shafts 64 and 65, respectively (FIGS. 2 and 3). The heating blades may be of an electrical type supplied with energy through a slip ring and brush connection 71, 72. Gears 66 and 67 are secured to the shafts 64 and 65, respectively, and mesh with the drive gear 35 for rotation of the heaters 62 and 63. Each pair of heating blades are angularly displaceable about the shaft 64 or 65. Let the gear ratio of each of the gears 66 and 67 to the gear 35 be 1:5. In case there is no margin between adjacent labels in the tape, the rear edge RE of each label that has been separated from the tape is positioned at one of the ten points b1 b10 of the drum 12, as shown in FIG. 4. If the heater 62 is so set on its drive shaft 64 that when the label L8 with its rear edge RE on the point b4 has come around as far as 'below the heater 62, one of the heating blades say 62, touches the rear edge portion of the label L8, the other heating blade 62" will touch the rear edge portion of the next label L7.

The position of the forward edge of the label on the drum 12 varies with the length of the label. Suppose that the central angle corresponding to the length of the label on the drum 12 surface be The angular distance between the forward edge of the label and the point b5 will be 36 as the arc b4b5 is A of the circumference of the drum. Since the gear ratio of the drive gear of the drum 12 that of the heater 63 is 5:1, if the heater 63 is so set as to lag behind the first heater 62 by the heating blade 63' or 63" will touch the forward edge portion of each label. Thus, the adhesive on each label has its opposite end portions only heated to become active as shown hatched in FIG. 9a. In this case, the heater inside the drum 12 is reduced to a temperature only to provide a preheating of the adhesive.

In case the margin between adjacent two labels has been cut off as shown in FIG. 5, the rear edge RE of each label does not lie on the point b on the surface of the drum 12. In this case, the phase of the first heater 62 must also be changed. If the central angle corresponding to the cut oif margin of the label is the phase of the first heater 62 may be advanced 50 ahead of that shown in FIG. 4, with the phase of the second heater 63 being kept unchanged.

The adhesive can be activated only partially at any desired portion or portions of the label, as shown in FIG. 9b, other than the opposite ends of the label by using only one or both of the heaters '62 and 63 and varying their phases mutually and/or relative to the drum 12.

Instead of changing the phase of the cutters and the heaters, the same result can be obtained by displacing them relative to the drums 10 and 12 in the circumferential direction.

Preferably, no apertures may be formed within an area R of the circumferential wall of the drum 12 at the opposite sides of each of the ten points b1 to 1210, especially at the rear side with respect to the rotational direction of the drum 12, as shown in FIG. 4. This arrangement has the advantage that the dispersion of the heat generated by the heater inside the drum due to the wind cause by the suction is decreased with resulting increase in the efficiency of the heater.

A pulse counter 68 (:FIG. 3) may be provided to count the pulses produced by the proximity detector 48 disposed adjacent the piece of iron 47 provided on the top end of the lever 47 secured to the drive shaft 33 of the tape cutter 13.

Having illustrated and described some preferred embodiments of the invention, it is understood that they are merely representative and that many changes and modifications thereof may be made within the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An automatic labeling machine comprising means for feeding a tape consisting of a series of labels, each having one surface thereof coated with an adhesive material which becomes active when heated and each adjacent two of the labels in said tape having a margin interposed therebetween, a first suction drum mounted for rotation about an axis and having a circumferential wall through at least a portion of which suction works, means for guiding said tape along said circumferential wall portion of said drum, means disposed adjacent said first suction drum for successively cutting each said label from said tape on said circumferential wall portion of said first drum, comprising a rotary cutter having at least one cutter blade disposed so that upon every one rotation of said cutter, said blade nips said tape between itself and the circumferential wall of said first drum thereby to cut one label after another from said tape, means for synchronizing the period of rotation of said cutter and the feeding of each one label in said tape, a second rotary cutter having at least one cutting blade so disposed that upon every one revolution of said second cutter, said second cutter blade cuts off said margin from each said label that has been cut off from said tape by said first cutter blade, a second suction drum mounted for rotation about an axis substantially parallel with said first drum axis and having a circumferential wall through at least a portion of which suction works, said second suction drum being disposed adjacent said first drum so as to substantially contact that portion of the circumferential wall of said first drum where no suction works, so that each label that has been cut off from said tape on said first drum may be transferred onto said second drum, means for heating the circumferential wall of said second drum, and means for guiding articles to be labeled along a portion of the circumferential wall of said sec- 0nd suction drum, so that said labels on said second drum may be successively brought into contact with one of said articles so as to be securely adhered thereonto.

2. The labeling machine of claim 1, wherein the phase of at least one of said first and second cutter blades is variable.

3. The labeling machine of claim 1, further including means for collecting the margins that have been cut off from said labels.

4. The labeling machine of claim 1, wherein said first and second rotary cutters are displaceable relative to each other and to said first drum in the circumferential direction thereof.

5. An automatic labeling machine comprising means for feeding a tape consisting of a series of labels, each having one surface thereof coated with an adhesive material which becomes active when heated, a first suction drum mounted for rotation about an axis and having a circumferential wall through at least a portion of which suction works, means for guiding said tape along said circumferential wall portion of said drum, means disposed adjacent said first suction drum for successively cutting each said label from said tape on said circumferential wall portion of said first drum, a second suction drum mounted for rotation about an axis substantially parallel with said first drum axis and having a circumferential wall through at least a portion of which suction works, said second suction drum being disposed adjacent said first drum so as to substantially contact that portion of the circumferential wall of said first drum where no suction works, so that each label that has been cut off from said tape on said first drum may be transferred onto said second drum, means disposed inside said second drum for heating the circumferential wall of said second drum, means for controlling the temperature of said first-mentioned heating means, a first exterior heating means disposed adjacent said second drum circumferential wall to heat at least a portion of each said label, thereby activating said adhesive only on said at least one portion of each said label, and means for guiding articles to be labeled along a portion of the circumferential wall of said second suction drum, so that said labels on said second drum may be successively brought into contact with one of said articles so as to be securely adhered thereto.

6. The labeling machine of claim 5, further including a second exterior heating means disposed adjacent said second drum circumferential wall to heat a difierent portion of each said label from said portion to be heated by said first heating means.

7. The labeling machine of claim 6, wherein said first and second exterior heating means comprise at least one heating blade mounted for rotation so as to touch a portion of said adhesive on each said label.

8. The labeling machine of claim 7, wherein the phase of at least one of said heating blades is variable relative to the other.

9. The labeling machine of claim 7, wherein said first and second exterior heating means are displaceable relative to each other in the circumferential direction of said second drum.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,543,220 2/1951 Ardell 156-521 3,026,236 3/1962 Hein et al. 156355 3,193,430 7/1965 Messmer et a1. 156-355 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,116,145 10/1961 Germany 156521 SAMUEL FEINBERG, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 15635S, 521 

